Manufacturing, whether it is for commodities, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, etc., often involves controlling complex machines and processes. Many large manufacturers currently use or are investing in various technologies, such as smart sensors, predictive analytics, and big data functionality, to manage and improve their manufacturing processes. For example, enterprises are moving from a hub and spoke enterprise architecture to a true service oriented architecture. Although manufacturers may be currently implementing or investing in new technologies to control complex machines and processes, these technologies and legacy technologies may not be designed for: collaboratively solving day-to-day, manufacturing, operational issues; maintaining supplier and customer relationships; and harvesting and enriching an operational knowledge base which may be used to improve manufacturing processes. Furthermore, companies may move in the direction of focusing on core competencies and move manufacturing support functions to outsourcing partners. In these instances, existing platforms may not be designed to collaborate with outsourcing partners to facilitate quick and easy resolution to day-to-day manufacturing problems and improvement of manufacturing processes in the long term.